Wednesday, July 7, 2010

In celebration of its 5th Anniversary, Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery is hosting a celebratory gathering on Saturday, July 17 (11am-6pm). The Open House is open to the public and will feature all of Brys wines – including the newly released anniversary Bubbly.

“We are very excited to invite the public to join us as we celebrate our fifth year as part of this thriving wine industry in Michigan,” say owners Walter & Eileen Brys. “The release of Bubbly offers us a way to say ‘thank you’ to those who have been with us throughout the years.”

The Open House festivities will include a progressive wine tasting throughout the winery paired with light appetizers provided by TraVino Restaurant – including fresh strawberry panna cotta paired with Bubbly. There will also be door prizes, "5%" discount on any single bottle wine purchase (some restrictions do apply) and a free gift with any "5" + bottle purchase, while supplies last. Local pianist and art gallery owner, Rick Lehman, will perform throughout the day on the winery's baby grand piano.

If you haven't had the opportunity to meet winemaker, Coenraad Stassen, or owners, Walt and Eileen Brys and son, Patrick Brys, the Open House will provide an opportunity to learn about what's behind the name Brys Estate.

Bubbly is a limited release Demi-Sec, made with 70% Cabernet Franc and 30% Merlot, using only estate-grown grapes from the Brys Estate vineyards . This refreshing and light sparkling wine shows hints of strawberry and watermelon on the nose, with a soft, fruit-forward mid-palate. The well-balanced sweetness carries the fruit to the finish, making this the perfect wine for everyday enjoyment as well as the ideal pairing for fresh fruit and strawberry desserts.

“Last year was a great year for sparkling wines and we’re thrilled to be able to introduce our first such wine as part of our fifth anniversary,” says Winemaker Coenraad Stassen. “This is a new venture for us and we are looking forward to many more vintages in the years to come.”

Only 288 cases of Bubbly have been produced. It retails for $20 per bottle / $204 per case. It is available at the Brys Estate tasting room on Old Mission Peninsula and in a limited number of select retail outlets in Michigan.

Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery is centrally located in the heart of the Old Mission Peninsula – situated on 80 acres with breathtaking views of East Grand Traverse Bay – in Traverse City, Michigan. This boutique winery began with the planting of 32 acres of European vinifera grapes in 2001 and opened the tasting room in May of 2005. Using the highest quality standards, Brys hand picks its grapes and hand crafts its small batch, single vineyard wines, giving attention to detail during the crushing, fermenting, aging and bottling process. In just five short years, Brys has collected more than 250 awards at local, state, national and international competitions. You are invited to visit Brys Estate's 1500-square-foot- old world-style tasting room this summer to help celebrate their fifth anniversary in producing award-winning estate wines.